Coke quenching apparatus



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 51. 1927 G. P. WARDLEY ET AL COKE QUENCHINGAPPARATUS 0 T E 1 9 k\\ r .v $1 w, l|i[|\ II I l wiv I I MW Dec. 2-2,1931.

Dec 22, 1931. G. P. WARDLEY ET AL 41,837,740

COKE QUENCHING APPARATUS Filed May 31. 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 WM g R 2 w5 fl W3 n m v, mm w p M mm QW Dec. 22, 1931. e. P/WARDLEY ET AL1,837,740

C'OKE; QUENCHING APPARATUS Filed May 51. 1927 s Shets-Sheet 3 PatentedDec. 22, 1931 UNITED STATES ,P Em- OFFICE.

GEORGE r. WARDLEY AND MATTHEW J. BUTLER, on JoL rET, ILLINOIS COKEQUENCHING APPARAT S if Application filed May 31, 1927. Serial No.195,288.

Our invention relates to coke quenching apparatus and has for itsprimary object the provision of apparatus which automatically controlsthe length of time the coke is subjected to the quenching operation.

In the quenching operation of coke it is very desirable to subject apre-determined quantity of coke, after it is removed from the oven, tothe quenching action of water, an exact amount of time so as to properlyquench the coke and not have an undue amount of moisture in the cokeafter it v has been quenchechwhich results from the use oftoo much waterin the quenching operation. In the standard type of car into which thecoke is discharged from the coke ovens and with the standard type ofsprinkling apparatus in use for such car, it takes about twenty-eightseconds to properly quench the coke in using the water pressure which iscommon at most industrial plants. The timing 1 of the quenchingoperation is an important task-and has to be accomplished by means ofstop watches or the like and very frequently the timing is notaccurately performed, result ing in either an improper quenching ofthecoke through too short a time vor in the useof too much water and'causing an excessive amount of moisture in'thecoke. For these reasons it ishighly important that the quenching operation be performed properly andas nearly automatic as possible, andthe primary purpose of ourinventionis the provision of automatic quenching apparatus which ispositive in operation and which is entirely automatic in its operation,requ1ring no attention on the part of the operator when the coke car isplaced in position in the quenchingstation.

Another and further object of our invention isthe provision of. cokequenching apparatus which can be adjusted to meet varying conditions asto the size of car, the water pressure and the like, to meet variousoperative conditions, but when adjusted is automatic in its operation. I

Another and further object of our invention is the provision of cokequenching apparatus which is simple and eiiicient in operationpwhich iseasy to install and which can be installed at aminimum of trouble andexpense. These and other objects of our invention will be more fully andbetter understood by reference to the accompanying sheets of drawingsandin which Y Figure 1 is a plan view of the coke quenching station;

Figure 2 is a side elevational View ofithe coke and timing device foruse in our ap paratus; a

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the switch which forms a par ofthe timing device;

Figure 4 is an switch; and a Figure 5 is a wiring diagram s'howi'ng thewiringand various operating parts comprising the electrical equipmentfor the'system.

Referring now specifically to the drawings elevational View of trip andparticularlyfto F igure l-illustrating a coke quenching station, a drainplatform 10 V is shown having a track 11' positioned thereon and havinga rectangular frame 12 which is positoned above the coke car 13 on thetrack 11 and which is supported over the supply pipe 16'is providedwhich is connect ed to the sprinkleripipes 14 and 15, the said watersupply pipe having a valve 17 therein operated by a solenoid 18, bymeans of which the flow of water to the sprinkling pipes 14 and 15 iscontrolled. An electric locomotive 19i's 'shown'having a trip rod 20extending outward therefrom and which is adapted to engage a switch 21which is mounted upon a base 22 and has a pair of outwardly projecta ingmembers 23 and 24 in the formof a Y, which are so positioned that thetriprod 20 on the locomotive 19 contacts with onevorflthe other of thesemembers as the triprod passes the switch21. Apair of stops 25 and 26-are provided which contact against the sides of the switch tolimit itsturning movement.- Referring now particularlyto Figures 2 and 3,whereina time switch and operating apparatus therefor is shown, a base27 is shown having a motor 28 mounted thereon with a speed reducer 29connected to the 7 motor 28 and which leads to a timeswitch comprising aframe member 30 secured to the base 27 in any approved manner and whichhas mounted therein a shaft'31 secured to a shaft 32 in the speedreducer 29 by meansof a coupling 33, a portion of said shaft 31 being;

' mounted. on the lower end of the arm;38.

Also mounted on said member 37 is a movable switch member 41having acontact member 42 mounted thereon at the lowerend of which is positioneda screw 43 having a lock nut 44 thereon, thesaid member 41 being mountedupon a screw 45 with a spacer 46 positioned against the face of themember :37" and around which a coil' spring 47 is por sitioned, one endof which engages the member 41 on itsouter side so that the contact 3members 42 and 39 are normally heldin engagem'ent with each other; Atthe opposite side of the member 37 is mounted another 3 1 movable switchmember 48-upon a screw 49 having a contact member 50 secured thereto anda screw 51 at the lower end thereof upon which a lock nut 52 isositioned, these members forming a timeimit switch which is adapted tomake and break an electrical operating circuit to the valve 17 as thenut 35 travels back and forth between the two points of the bolts 43 and51 which are. alternately engaged by the head 36 on the nut35 as thedevice, is operated.

Referring now particularly to Figure 5 and wherein is illustrated thecircuits used for operating. the device heretofore described,a-clapperfboard 53 is illustrated having a clapper 54 mounted thereonadjacent'and an solenoid. 55 with contact members 56and 57 mountedthereon. A second clapper 58 is provided adjacent an solenoid 59 on eachside of which are a pair of contact members 60 and 61., A throw switch62 is provided in the primary or operating circuit and from which Ia'pair of wires 63 and 64 lead, the wire 63 goingdirect to the motor 28,the wire 64 leading to the contact member 57 whichis connected incircuitby a lead wire- 65 to the contact member60, each of the members 57 and60 being adjacent one end of the clap pers 54 and58 respectively.Attached to one side of the switch 21 is a lead wire 66 which leadstothe contact member '42 carried by v the member 41 with the wire :67leading to the solenoid. 55 and connected to the primary or operatingcircuit at 68, it being noted that this circuit is complete when theterminals of wires 66 and 67 in the switch 21 are connected throughcontact members 39 and'42. Leading from the clapper 54 is a lead wire 69leading to the solenoid 18 on the valve 17 with a return'wire 70 leadingfrom the lead wire 63 through a hand .switch 71 thus establishing acurrent throughthe solenoid 18 for operation of the valve 19 when oneend of the clapper 54 is in'contact with the contact member, 57. At theopposite side of the switch 21 is a pair of terminals 72 and 73 havinglead wires 74 and 7 5 connected thereto, the lead wire 75 beingconnected to the contact member 50 on the switch element 48 and the leadwire 74 leading to-the solenoid 59 where it is connected at76 tothe'wirer67 and serving whenthe terminals 72 and 73 are connectedthrough "the contact members 40 and 50 to energize the solenoid59'pulling the clapper 58 out of its normal position as shown in thefigure, so that one end thereof contacts with the contact member 60 andcon-' nectlng the primary circuit so the motor is caused to travel in areverse direction for the purpose of resetting the device after. itsoperation' is complete, .aswill be more fully described hereinafter.Awlead wire '77 is provided which leads from the switchmember 38 and isconnected to the primary cir? cuit wire 63 at7 8 through which circuitsare established tothe contact members 42' and 50 with the members 39and: 40' respectively.

In operation the car .13 is backed into the quenching station underneaththe spray-pipes" 14and 15 and as thecar is backed into-the.

station the rod 20 engages the switch arm 23 Wl'llCh forms a contactbetween the points66a and 67a andestablishing a circuit to the solenoid' 55, thus energizing this solenoid which pulls the clapper 54 downinto contact with the contact. member 57. -Thisoperationalso establishesa. circuit through the leads 69 and 7 Othrough the solenoid-l8,'theswitch 71 beingnormally placed in closed position so that the solenoid18 becomingenergized opens the valve 17 and allows the water to flowthrough pipe 16 into the spray pipes14 and 15, causing a flow of wateronto the coke contained in the car '13. The clapper 54 also closes theprimary operating circuit to the motor 28 which thus starts to operatethe gear reducing mechanism 29,, rotates the screw member 34, causingthe nut 35 to travel along-the screw member 34' until it engages thebolt 43,

pushes the member 43 mounted inthe'e'nd of ber outward separates'thecontact members .39 and .42 thus breaking the circuit leading the switchmember 41 and pushing this inemcuit to the solenoid 18, shutting off theflow of water to the sprinkling pipes 1e and 15.

As soon asthe Water stops flowing, the car 13 is pulled from under thequenching station by the locomotive 19, the rod 20 engages the arm 24 ofthe switch 21 and connects the contact members 72 and 73 and closing thecircuit through the lead wires 7 4 and 75 by energizing the solenoid 59and operating the clapper 58, bringing one end of the clapper intocontact with thecontact member 60 and which reverses the current throughthe motor 28 causing the motor to reverse itself and thus operating thescrew 34 in. the opposite direction causing the nut 35 to travelbackwards on the screw 34 until it engages the bolt 51 and breaking thecircuit to the solenoid 59 by separating the contact members and on themember 48 so that the motor is stopped and the nut is therefore broughtinto reset position so that when the nextcar of coke is backed into thequenching station the rod 20 engages the switch arm 23 and the cycle ofoperations such as heretofore described is again completed.

The limit of travel of the nut 35 is controlled by the distance betweenthe points of the screws 43 and 51 and consequently'the time ofoperation of the sprinkling apparatus is equal to the amount of timethat it takes depending upon the pressure of the water and also thecondition of flow, and whether muddy or clear and in general will amountto,

about twenty-eight to thirty seconds in order to quench a standard carinto which the coke is received from the coke ovens before it 1squenched. The adjustment'of these screws can, of course, be determinedby experimentation so that thetime of flow of the water into the'coke iscontrolled without the use of any timing apparatus and is made entirelyautomatic by merely pushing the car into proper position and allowing itto remain in the quenching station while the quenching appae ratuscauses the flow of water to flow onto the coke for the predeterminedlength of time. The rod 20 on the locomotive is so adjusted that wheneither of the members 23 or 24 on the switch is turned at an angle, therod 20 will clear the points of these members so that it is immaterialwhether the car of coke be spotted at exactly the proper place under thequenching station because pushing the car into the quenching stationautomatically starts the water to flow through the sprinkler pipes andpulling the car out causes the device to be reset for new operation.

While we have described more or less precisely the details ofconstruction, we do not wish to be understood as limiting ourselvesthereto, as we contemplate changes in form and the proportion ofpartsand the substitution of equivalents as circumstances may suggest orrender expedient without departing our. invention.

electric. circuits leading to saidmotor, secondary electrical circuitsconnected with said first mentioned circuits, circuit breaking mechanismin said secondary circuits, a shaft operated by said motor, an elementmovably mounted on saidshaft and adapted to op'er ate the saidcircuit'breaker, a two-way switch adapted to close the secondarycircuits, and means whereby the said two-way switch is operated by acoke car passing intoand out of the said station, one of said mainelectric circuits being connected to the said solenoid.

"2. Coke quenching apparatus comprising in combination a cokequenchingstatiton, a

water supply pipe leading thereto, a valve in said water supply pipe, asolenoid connected to said valve, a reversible motor, a-pair of lprlmary electric c1rcu1ts connected to sa1d motor, one of said circuitshaving connection with said solenoid, prlmary clrcuit breaking means 1neach of sa1d primary c1rcu1ts, secondary circuits connected to each ofsaid cirv,

cuit breaking means, a shaft operated by the sa1d motor, a movablemember on sa1d shaft,

switches in said secondary circuits adapted to be opened by the memberon the said shaft,

and a switch operable by means passing into and out of the saidquenching station where by the said primary circuits are opened andclosed.

3. A coke quenchingapparatus, comprising, in combination, a cokequenching station, a water supply pipe leading thereto, a valve in saidwater supply pipe, a solenoid controlling the said valve, areversiblemotor, contacts actuated by said motor, a main electric circuit leadingto said solenoid and motor, a Y

second main circuit leading to said motor, a circuit breaker mechanismin said main circuits, secondary circuits connected to said contacts andcircuit breaker mechanism, and a switch connected to said secondarycircuits whereby the said main circuits are opened and closed byactuation of said switch, said contacts being adapted to actuate thecircuit breaker mechanism to open themain electric circuit leading tothe solenoid and to the motor after a predetermined length of time.

4. A' coke quenching apparatus, comprising, in combination, a cokequenching station, a water supply pipe leading thereto, a valve in saidwater supply pipe, a solenoid conree trolling the said valve,=areversible motor, contacts actuated by said motor, amainelectric circuitleading tosaid solenoid and motor, a secondmain circuit leading to saidmotor, secondary circuits connected to said contacts, circuit breakersconnected in said main and secondary circuits and a switch connected insaid secondary circuits Whereby the saidinain circuits are controlled by10 said switch in said secondary'ci rcuits to open said valve and startsaid motor and to close said valve after a predetermined length of time,said switch being adapted upon further actuation thereof to reverse saidmotor and restore said contacts to normal position.

'i, Signed at J oliet, Illinois, this 9th day of April, 1927. 7 V VGEORGE P. l/VARDLEY.

I MATTHEW J. BUTLER.

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